Bebolicious
Kareena Kapoor discusses the choices she has made over the years
By Indu Mirani
Posted On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 02:45:59 AM
• You were always an industry kid, you accompanied Lolo everywhere. In your mind was there ever another career choice?
Never, apart from wanting to be an air hostess and fly the world, but my father was very against that. He was like we will send you on a whirlwind tour whenever you want, but you are not becoming an air hostess.
Actually there was another phase that came in between, that was the lawyer phase, where I went to Govt. Law College for six months and ran away because of the books. You know it just made me so scared. I was like "I just have to leave; there's no way I'm doing this."
I have also made things happen for me. I've worked with directors that not many people would take the risk of working with like Sudhir (Mishra, Chameli) and Imtiaz (Ali, Jab We Met). I mean today every one wants to work with them, but I took up that challenge because I believed in those scripts. So I think for whatever adulation is happening now, apart from my mother's support and the directors who cast me, I really don't have anyone to thank.
• When you started your career, you had this huge controversy about leaving Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and opting for Refugee instead. Was that choice right for you?
I think it's the best thing that happened because I got known as an actress from my first film. It was a role which was not a contemporary launch break, where you are looking beautiful and stuff. The role was performance driven. And though I was not launched with Hrithik, I did four films after that with him
I did get launched with Abhishek, irrespective of whatever issues are there today, and that's engraved for life, it's on screen now that I was launched with him and I would regard that as a very special moment in my life, so to me it was again another great decision I took.
• Talking about Abhishek, you sister's choice impacted your life, still impacts your life in terms of work. How cool are you with that?
Like I said it's never been a pitfall if I was not part of a film because he never wanted me to be a part of it, I think I would thank him for that, because its fine if he doesn't want to work with me because I don't want any actor to be uncomfortable. Acting is a profession in which you have to be very comfortable with each other. It's sad that it had to reach this point but in my life there's still room for Abhishek, I would say that quite openly that there's still room for him. I don't know in what way he is uncomfortable, but it's sad, because films will come and films will go, but I just wish this little bit of room was still left in his heart for me.
• You have never thought of picking up the phone and just calling him up. You must have been talking to him a lot at one time?
But if someone is uncomfortable, then I will also be uncomfortable, so its best left at that, but of course in my heart there will always be a door open.
• Will this work if Saif offers you a role too?
Today if Saif offers me a role for his production and I am not happy with it, I will use my mind and I will say 'it's not up to the mark, Saif'. I will not make the mistake of following my heart and doing it no matter what I have done in the past.
• You've been through adolescent romance and are now in a more mature one. How do they compare?
I think every relationship prepares you for your final destination and I think every relationship has been a preparation. I have learnt a lot of things from my relationships. If it doesn't work out then that is God's wish and that is destiny which I have completely come to terms with.
• You turned vegetarian in your last relationship. Was it because you loved the person or did you choose to become a vegetarian?
I chose to and that is validated by the fact that I am still one in spite of me being with a man who is a hard core non-vegetarian, who at every given step would be eating his steak and his roast chicken. I did it completely because I believed in it. It's because of a book I read and I completely believe in. Nobody has put a dagger to my head. I've learnt something from Shahid and that's something that Saif appreciates and in fact Saif always tells me that "Listen, if now you go back to being a non vegetarian, I'll loose faith in you as a person." I've traveled the word with Saif and he's sat across thousands of tables from me and I've stuck to my French fries even though I have to put on a kilo on my scale, but I would not go for the roast chicken.
• Going vegetarian changed your body type too…
I think it's a mix of that as well as a lot of yoga which also just changed my personality.
• Was Saif just there when you broke up with Shahid?
Choice is where you choose to be, and where you want to be and in such a personal issue, I think there's so many things that happen which one shouldn't be digging up and shouldn't talk about. Saif has always been my friend first in that period and now my lover, so I think we've grown from friends to being in this relationship. And the choice is that I clearly wanted to be where I was. I don't believe in mud slinging, I don't believe in discussing my relationships, I think the fact that I've just been purely honest and I've never hidden the fact that I was with Saif and that I am with Saif. (Proud of you bebo!)
I want to tie the knot but at the right time. People think that Saif is pressurising me but I would like to say on record say that he's never done that. In fact I am always wanting to tie the knot and he's the one whose been telling me that "listen, lets give it some time, lets wait, your are at a stage which every girl would want to be at in their career, so sit back and just enjoy the roller coaster ride for some time. And that's what makes me love him more to tell you the truth. I don't think any man in the industry would ever want to tell an actress the same thing. The reason why I want to be with him is because he is so supportive of my work and respects me for what I am doing. 😳
• So he doesn't want to change you in anyway?
Not at all, not at all. May be a little bit of more holiday time. He's always calling up my secretary and yelling at him "From nine days my holiday has become four days because of her endorsements. But Saif is witty, he laughs about these things and that's what makes him so unique and understanding.
• The story goes that he proposes to you every day
Can you believe that? Poor thing he is so upset, he's like "Why are they doing this to me?" Saif Ali Khan is actually the guy who has wanted to be single all his life, run away from relationships, run away from commitment, but the fact is that he always tells me "you are actually the only girl that I really wanted to commit to." I am with him all the time, but I give him space to be with his family, to do what he wants to do with his work. The fact that I am not the heroine of his first production just goes to show that we have our complete different zones when we work.
• Would you choose to have kids?
I think hopefully, God willing, I pray my children look like my mother and my sister and my father and me, with our pink cheeks. When I look at my niece, Im like Oh God, she is just the most beautiful girl in the world, she is gorgeous, gorgeous, so yes of course I want to carry forward this tradition and what could be more royal than to have Saif and my child. I think it would be just wonderful. The thought is there but it's a very far off thought because like Saif jokes, "I have three children, Sara, Ibrahim and Bebo." He himself tells me I'm not ready for kids yet. 😳
• So where is the relationship now?
Every one teases me Im a great girl friend. I have just learnt the art of balancing a working relationship and that of a girl who is involved. I think I'm just like, maybe a super woman who just kind of understands that in a relationship you have to learn to give, to get. Its just something that is in me. If someone comes to my house or someone comes to meet me, I like to make everyone feel comfortable. I think that's just a trait that's been with me since I've been a child. I like to talk to people. A woman should have that 'comfortable' effect on her man. At least she then knows her man is going nowhere. 👏
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